Preservatives

Preservatives

Preservatives help keep all of us safe by preventing growth of bacteria and mold during the typical use of consumer products, so they do not spoil or rot in a few days, like milk or cheese. Certain preservatives in consumer products are also found in natural fruits and vegetables to prevent them from rotting too quickly.

Different Product Types Need Different Preservatives

We often receive questions on preservatives. Different product types, likes creams vs. liquids, need different preservatives that work best for a particular formula. The chart below shows where we use and do not use the major classes of preservatives found in most consumer products. Please contact us if you need more details on the preservative used in a particular product and we will be glad to assist you. While we cannot include every preservative we use in our products on the chart, all of our preservatives comply with applicable regulations and safe limits wherever they are sold. We are also providing our perspective on the four types of preservatives where we receive the most questions—parabens, triclosan and triclocarban, isothiazolinones, and formaldehyde releasers.